An Army aviation pilot died and another was injured after their helicopter crashed in Siachen on Wednesday.
The Cheetah helicopter they were in was on a routine maintenance sortie. After unloading supplies at the Bheem post on the Northern Glacier, the helicopter took off and crashed within minutes.
"The pilot was killed and the co-pilot was badly injured. The Army is taking the injured officer to a military hospital," an officer in the Army headquarters said.
The Cheetah helicopters, bought from France, were inducted into the Indian Army over 40 years ago in 1971.
There are about 120 Cheetahs in service right now. The airframe life of the light-utility helicopter is about 4,500 hours, but most of the Cheetahs that the Army has have logged over 6,000 flying hours. The engine life of the chopper is 1750 hours and most have gone past that too.
In March 2007, Defence Minister AK Antony had told Parliament that the aging Cheetah fleet would be replaced soon. There has been one cancelled tender since then, some fresh trials, but no decision. In these five years, at least 10 pilots have been killed in Cheetah crashes.
The Cheetah helicopter they were in was on a routine maintenance sortie. After unloading supplies at the Bheem post on the Northern Glacier, the helicopter took off and crashed within minutes.
"The pilot was killed and the co-pilot was badly injured. The Army is taking the injured officer to a military hospital," an officer in the Army headquarters said.
The Cheetah helicopters, bought from France, were inducted into the Indian Army over 40 years ago in 1971.
There are about 120 Cheetahs in service right now. The airframe life of the light-utility helicopter is about 4,500 hours, but most of the Cheetahs that the Army has have logged over 6,000 flying hours. The engine life of the chopper is 1750 hours and most have gone past that too.
In March 2007, Defence Minister AK Antony had told Parliament that the aging Cheetah fleet would be replaced soon. There has been one cancelled tender since then, some fresh trials, but no decision. In these five years, at least 10 pilots have been killed in Cheetah crashes.
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